I really love enamel pins from the 60's, but I have a hard time finding them at my local thrift shops and the prices for vintage ones online, once you factor in shipping, tend to be too much for a little ol' pin. So I came up with this idea for refashioning some of the ugly ones me & my mom have been gifted (or probably re-gifted, lol) over the years.

All you need is a gaudy pin that has a pretty design hiding under the surface, and some *opaque* nail polish. (Any polishes that usually need 2-3 coats to cover your nails will not work here!) Then paint! It's really that simple! For the smaller areas I used a fine paintbrush, but for the rest I just used the brush that comes with the polish. Then seal it with a shiny topcoat, and you're done!

I wish I had had a cute little reindeer or poinsettia pin laying around the house, but this was the best I could come up with. At least now, though, when I see cheap shiny brooches I'll give them another look. If the basic design is really cute, they can be saved! :)